The Bodyguard (2016)

Such a frustrating disappointment

Load of rubbish!!

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Sammo Hung stars in The Bodyguard not to be confused w/Kevin Costner's film of '92 or even the great My Bodyguard w/Chris Makepiece & Adam Baldwin. This plays loosely like a film named Memories of a Killer where a hitman struggles w/his craft as he slowly becomes swallowed by the onslaught of dementia. In this case, Hung is a former military man who still has the action bonafides but even something like finding the keys to his home becomes a debilitating chore. Again we have an uneasy mix of violent kung fu w/extreme sentimentality which are in constant odds w/each other but feelings trump action here & not for the better leaving this heartfelt exercise feeling very futile.

I watched this movie expecting a rather fun martial art movie. I saw Sammo Hung in many Chinese kung fu movies and although he was always somewhat fat he always delivered decent stuff. Was it always believable? You decide. But this movie ... Well OK let me start by the beginning.I understand a movie has to set up characters and development. But nothing happen for over 30 minutes. Then we have a very short action scene and nothing happen again for another 30 minutes. There is only one big action piece in the movie and although its better filmed than an usual Steven Seagal action scene, you can clearly see the guy is overweight and can't match with these peoples. Some decent camera work and wire stuff hide the obvious, but the action is plague by a weird looking slowmo effect way too present.Is the story any good? Well not really... The acting is OK from the little girl i supposed but Sammo is wooden as a 2x4. I guess this movie want to be more of a drama than an action movie but even there i had trouble getting into it. Maybe its cause I'm not Chinese...Overall i was very disappointed by this. To me it compare to the bad Steven Seagal movies when nothing happen but even worst. Usually with Seagal you have half decent gun fights and Seagal being the smart ass and pulling a few good lines, but here nothing.I am giving a 4 by compassion for the attempt at a touching story and i am being very generous.

Let me start this review with a translated quote used in the film: The old man is like Kung Fu Panda I have no clue if they truly said that originally. Despite, this quote does sum up the abilities of Sammo Hung's character Ding. Ding is a retired Central Security Bureau officer from Beijing who is in the early stages of dementia. He is a man full of regret and remorse but chooses to seclude himself rather than confront the issues that are plaguing him. One big strain on him is the fact that his granddaughter got missing while he was watching over her. But then at one point in time Cherry Li , a little girl from next door sneaks into his apartment to hide there after fighting with her father. Which is the start of an unique friendship.One thing you will have to understand that this Sammo Hung vehicle isn't the typical martial arts film he used to make. Sammo has gotten old and apparently he wanted to address this. So most of the focus is on Ding being an old man. He receives some backup from old friends to make this statement. People like Yuen Baio, Dean Shek, Yuen Wah, and Tsui Hark to name but a few. These are nothing but glorified cameo's. But since I had not read anything about the film in advance I was pleasantly surprised to see them. For me it wasn't a disappointment like some reviewers have stated. More so because they had been given the impression to come into action as well. Now that would have been something I must admit so I do understand the criticism. Although it did not hurt what they were going for in the film. At it's core this film is about Ding coming to terms with old age, dementia and guilt. The action is just in service of this.This explains the fact that there is not that much action. And while I also was expecting more I understand that somehow this would not be fitting regarding the theme. Or even would destroy the message that Sammo Hung wants to make clear to the audience. But don't despair the little action that is present is more than satisfying. Especially in the finale where Sammo goes Steven Seagal on the bad guys. Mainly using his arms and where he is using his opponents power against them. It makes sense to me that on old man would be limited in his move set so that was a nice touch.Andy Lau also is involved in this film as an actor and producer. He plays the low life father of Cherry and basically is the reason why trouble starts in the first place. His role while significant is small and just right as he manages to evoke enough emotions. Another thing you have to understand is that this film doesn't go that deep into issues like dementia or bad parenting. Instead it tries to appeal to your emotions about these issues. And this is something that Sammo Hung does real well.So for me this film was well worth the watch and while I was expecting a more action packed adventure I got something just as good in return. We all become old one day and then we can't do the things we used to do. You have to be prepared for that.

My Beloved Bodyguard is the first film Sammo Hung has directed in almost 20 years. Although not one of Hung's classics, this is still streets ahead of what the critical reviews have said.Originally My Beloved Bodyguard was to star both Hung and Jackie Chan, in the Andy Lau role. The film has obviously went through some rewrites since then, as I can't see Chan playing the type of role that Lau plays here.The plot of the film steals somewhat from movies like " Man on Fire" and the "Man from Nowhere", with Hung as a retired Civil Servant protecting a young girl. In this case it is local triads, who Lau, the child's father, owes money too.Some reviews have complained about the lack of action in the movie. Must having been watching something else, as there are a number of good action/fight scenes in the movie. There's an excellent chase sequence with Lau and a number of gangsters, that is only let down by being a bit short, then a fight between Sammo and some thugs who come to his house. Then there is the extended finale, with Hung taking on a group of gangsters. Unlike the comedic fights Hung used to take part in, this is just brutal, with multiple limbs being broken.The film has been harmed somewhat by its advertising campaign which shows the actors, some of which are legends like Yuen Biao & Yuen Wah, that appear in the movie in action poses. Unfortunately most of the actors on the posters only appear in the film in limited cameos, which is a shame. This isn't a fault of the film, as i'm sure Sammo had nothing to do with the advertising.On the performance side, Sammo is his usual self. His fans won't be disappointed. Lau is also good, in the only other lead role of the film. Only Lau could turn a somewhat waste of space, into a likable character. Lau also acts as the films producer.On the directing side, Sammo shows his skill behind the camera, and although his action scenes are more edited that in the past, his choreography still shines through. Only drawback is his overuse of a blurry slow-mo effect which can be somewhat distracting.If you are a fan of Hong Kong cinema and/or Sammo Hung, I would definitely recommend "My Beloved Bodyguard".